European champions Leicester emerged with the points from the testing Heineken Cup opener at Neath on Friday after they were denied victory in dramatic fashion.

Austin Healey's 79th-minute solo try looked to have got Leicester out of jail after they had trailed for the entire match.

But Tigers' substitute, French international prop Franck Tournaire, then conceded a penalty and Neath fly-half Lee Jarvis tied a gripping Pool One encounter.

Leicester, seeking an unprecedented hat-trick of European titles, were once again suspect on the road.

They have not won an away game since March, and it showed, as much of their play was scarred by unforced errors.

Neath were always going to be difficult first-up opponents, especially in the wind and rain of an unsavoury evening, so Martin Johnson and company will probably feel relieved to have avoided defeat.

Roared on by their biggest crowd since South Africa played at The Gnoll eight years ago, Neath predictably made all the early running.

Jarvis opened the home side's account with a 13th-minute penalty, and then doubled the lead six minutes later from similar range.

Leicester struggled to put any worthwhile phases of play together, lacking cohesion and creativity out wide, and it took them 31 minutes to open their accounts when ultra-reliable goalkicker Tim Stimpson found his range.

Neath were not prepared to play second fiddle and their response was swift and decisive.

The impressive Jarvis chipped cleverly over a flat Leicester defence 20 metres out and Neath's Tongan centre Dave Tiueti reacted quickest to claim the touchdown.

It was a sucker-punch of a try, and Jarvis' conversion meant that Neath enjoyed a 10-point advantage approaching the interval.

Stimpson reduced Leicester's arrears with his second penalty in first half injury time, but Neath were good value for their lead.

The rain at least relented for most of the second period, but the action remained frantic with little pattern.

Stimpson, so often Leicester's match-winner on previous big European occasions, completed his penalty hat-trick on 56 minutes, but then missed with two long-range strikes in quick succession.

Those uncharacteristic failures lifted Neath for the frenzied closing stages, yet they were forced to continue with some desperate defence as Leicester threw everything bar the proverbial kitchen sink at them.

Substitute wing Steve Booth injected much needed pace and adventure into the Leicester back division and, with time running out, Neath were hanging on for survival.

That brave resistance finally looked to have run out a minute from time when Healey, playing despite a groin injury, ghosted clear from 20 metres out for a sparkling score that Stimpson converted.

Neath, having been ahead all night, suddenly found themselves three points adrift and staring at the prospect of a costly home defeat.

But that was when Tournaire gifted Neath an equalising chance, and Jarvis required no second invitation to take advantage.

Neath will undoubtedly take more satisfaction from this result than Leicester, with the Tigers once again unconvincing and on this evidence looking in serious danger of relinquishing their prized European crown.

Teams:

Neath: G. Morris, K. James, Storey, Tiueti, S. Williams, Jarvis, A. Moore, D. Jones, B. Williams, Millward, A. Newman, G. Llewellyn, Jenkins, Mocelutu, Bonner-Evans.

Not Used: Horgan, Connor, Leyshon, Tandy, S. Jones, Martin, A. Jones.

Tries: Tiueti.

Cons: Jarvis.

Pens: Jarvis 3.

Leicester: Stimpson, Lloyd, Gelderbloom, Kafer, Tuilagi, Healey, Tierney, Rowntree, West, Garforth, M. Johnson, Kay, Moody, Back, Corry.

Not Used: Chuter, Freshwater, Tournaire, W. Johnson, J. Hamilton, Booth, Kronfeld.

Tries: Healey.

Cons: Stimpson.

Pens: Stimpson 3.

Att: 6,834

Ref: David McHugh (Ireland).